While historically Tuesday was considered the "magic" day to book, recent 2026 data from Expedia suggests that has emerged as the cheapest day to both book and depart, offering savings of about 3% compared to Sundays. Optimal Booking Windows
: For Thanksgiving and Christmas, book no later than Halloween to avoid sharp price hikes. Best Times to Fly (Departure Dates) best time to buy cheap airline tickets
: Check fares for nearby secondary airports; for example, flying into Oakland instead of San Francisco can sometimes yield significant savings. While historically Tuesday was considered the "magic" day